Feeler device for automatic weftreplenishing mechanism in looms



Aug. 20, 1935- G. F. N. MARTIN 2,011,903

FEELER DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM IN LOOMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1954 Aug. 20, 1935. G. F. N. MARTIN 2,011,903 FEELER DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM IN LOOMS Filed Feb. 12, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m vf-Nfok George Frederick/yarn! wqfllh Aug. 20, 1 935. a. F. N. MARTIN FEELER DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM IN LOOMS Filed Feb. 12, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 6 erye .FreJeriak A aYmAl) M TT/n Patented Aug. 20, 1935 WEFT- P REPLEENISHIVNIG MECHANISM in Looms George, Frederick Scotlandassignor 'pany Limited, Nottingham,

Application February 12 In Great Britain 9 Claims. (01. 139277) This invention is concerned with. automatic weft-replenishing mechanism for looms wherein a'.fee1er device-which is mounted in the path of'one of the two shuttle-boxes mountedat opposside ends of the lay, or sley,and which exercises its .35 1 :Another object of feeling action each time a shuttle occupies the said one .of the shuttle-boxesis adapted to control the actuation of when the supply of weft in theshuttle is almost. nearly'exhausted bobbin, cop, tube, pirn orthe .like (referred to generally exhausted, wherebythe an ejector and magazine hereinafter as aweft-holder) is ejected from'the shuttle. and a fresh one supplied thereto from the .magazine.

-.The prese nt invention relatesto the known type of feeler' device: wherein'there are two differentially. movable feelers one of :which is opera- -tively.associated'through some form of setting means with the weft-replenishing mechanism and .i'seadapted. to initiate the actuation of mechanism the said when the feelers 'bear'a predetermined co-relationship at or about the end of the beat-up of the lay. I

An object .vide an improved feeler.

of the present invention is to prodevice of the type stated whichwill function reliably at. a moment in the cycle of operations when aweft-holder is'almost exhausted of weft'and'. independently of dimensional variations betweenthe different weft-hold .ers, inzassociation with which the arrangement "would :operate; such. Variatl0ns;;being generally present to a marked degree where saidweftreon: the

prisinggapair of inter-engaging feelers one of which is rep eatcdly. contacted and displacedto a progressively decreasing extent by wefthwound on ;,the core of a weftrholder, and the other of which is simultaneously contacted and displaced, but to a constant, e

xtent,,.by the corewhereon the weft ,is wound. Withsuch, an arrangement, the actuation .of the weft-replenishing smechani'sm is weft-holder the weft-holderis althis timing can be because the action on the weft-holder, and is of the dimensions of ,the

itself; The invention should therefore .be distinguished from any arrangement in which one 0 surface of the weft holderother than that on -which the weft was arrangementsmall differences in the dimensions "of different f the fe'elerswas contacted by some wound, because in any such weft holders would introduce corresponding variationsin the timing of the feeler rred arrangement, the means of en v theiinvention 15 m provide .an improvedvfeele'r-device of the type stated com- Norrnan Martin; Glasgow, to William Hollinsand Cfoml England ,4 934, Serial No". 710,941 February 21, 1933.

e feelers isaso. made that,

gagement between th while thereisja sufficlency of weft on theweftholder, the feelers when displaced move purely" endwise; and that, when the weft is almost. ex!

hausted, the,core-operatedifeeler is so displaced relatively to the weft-operatedfeeler that oneof them imparts to; the, other an additional movement, and the other feeler in consequence dis,-

. position inwhich said member is engaged. by a striker, [the weft-replenishing mechanism being therebyset for actuation;

In analternativearrangement, the means of engagement between' the feelers is so made that, while there is a sufficiency of weft, the displacement between thefeele'rs is differentialand in consequenceone of the V tional movement and displaces a settingv member fr'om an operative position into an inoperative position; hauste'd, thereis practically no differentialmovemerit, withthe result 7 left in itsoperative 'positiomso that it is engaged by a striker, the weft-replenishing mechanism be.- ingthereby set foractuation. i

g In order that the invention can be clearly understood, the same willnow be described by way of example with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in WhiChI-r: g

Fig. l is a diagrammatic sectional plan showfeelers receives an addi-.

and that, when the weft is almo'stexthat the settingmember is 'ing a preferred construction of the improved.

feeler arrangement. as applied to a Northrop loom having automatic weft-replenishing mechanism, only such parts of the loom and said mechanism being shown as are necessary to enthe invention. 7 Figs. 2and 3 are fragmentary, sectional diagrammaticviewsin the direction of the arrows II and III respectively in Fig. 1. v 1

7 Fig.4 is a sectional plan of the feeler'arrange- 'ment drawn toa larger scale. v

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 4', the section being on the line VV of Fig. 4; 1

Fig. 6 is a section on the. line VI-A71 of Fig. 1; Fig. '7 is a sectional plan,'tothe same-scaleas Fig. l, of an alternative construction of the improved feelerarrangement;

The Working parts of the weft-replenishing mechanism--to "which the improved feeler arrangement applied in accordance withthis invention-and=the associated loom parts, including the lay and the shuttle-boxes, are of well known construction and operation; and these 7 parts havetherefprebeen illustrated simply in a diagrammatic manner in the accompanyingdrawings. "As shown, the lay is: denoted by .l flyllhe left and right har'id shuttle-boxes by H "and "I! respectively, the shuttle by it and the weft holders generally by I4. The weft-holders areof the 3,5 able one conversant with the art to understand 24: fulcrumed at 320 7 support 23 -on.ra:bracketi31 'of the loomframe.

replenishing mechanism includes a pair of spaced magazine wheels l5, l6 which are rotatably mounted on a bracket I1 secured to the frame N3 of the loom and between which acircularly ar-.,

ranged series of full weft-holders are stored in readiness for transfer one at a timeflinto the shuttle} For clearness, only one weft holder is shown in the magazine in Fig. 1. The mechanism also includes an ejector consisting of a the bracket I! and provided with a return torsion spring 23. The hammer has pivotally mount- -ed onit 'a latch 2| which is normally held against apivotal movement under the action of a torsion spring 22 -by a'support 23 extending from a lever 25 on the bracket l'l the support -23 pressing down upon a'lateral pin 2| on the latch 2|; The latch cooperates with a'striker, or -so-cal1ed hunter; 28 on the lay 13 in front of the righthand shuttle-box 'l2.

I9 is, also provided with pawl-and-detent parts 21,-28"cooperating with a ratchet-wheel 23 secured .to' the same shaft 30 as themagazine wheels l5, I6. Normally, the latch 2| occupies theinoperative positionin which 'it is shown by full lines in .Fig; 3, and whe n thelatch is so positioned'the weft-ereplenishing mechanism' remains inoperative. The latch 2| can however be raised into an --operative position, in which it-is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3; and when the latch is so positioned the weft-replenishing mechanism is set for opera tion by the striker 26 on the lay H3. r

The means for setting the: weft-replenishing mechanism'comprises the followingF-Anarm 3|, :which is secured to one end of a rock-shaft, or -so"-called change motion shaft, 32; journalled on the frame l8, and which has one end in forked engagement with a pin-24' on the previously mentioned lever24, thearm- 3| being continuously i pulled downwards towards its lowermost position by a strong spring 3| anchored below the frame -|8; an upright crank arm 33, which'is secured to .the other end of the shaft 32; and a setting arm 34,'.one end ofwhich isfpivotally attached to the top of the crank arm 33, and the free end of which rests uponone arm 35' of a two armed lever 35', 35 :fulcrumed on a bracket 35 on the'frame IS.

"The said setting means is operated to set the weft-replenishing mechanism by a continuously moving striker 36 arranged to co-operate with the 'arm 34.. The striker 36 is provided at the top of an upright 3150f a two-armed lever fulcrumed The other arm 3! of this lever is provided with a cam-follower 38 which rides upon the rim of a cam 39 secured to a rotary shaft 46 driven at half speed by the loom mechanism. The arrangement is such that the striker 35 is forced forwards once during every two picks of the loom; and, if the setting arm 34 should be located in the path of the striker 36, the'said arm will be forced forwards and will rock the crank-arm 33, rock-shaft 32 and arm 31 with the result that the lever 24, and thereon, will be raised, and the latch permitted to rise under the action of 2| will be .its spring 22 into the operative position. Thus,

the weft-replenishing mechanism Wi l be set in During. the next succeeding beat-up the lay,

through the bottom thereof.

weft-replenishing The hammer .which registersflwith the .position that the feelers bearing on the body 48 .35 34 occupies its normalposition of support, it is located clear of the striker 36;- so' that, when the the shuttle being projected into theright hand shuttle-box I2, the striker 26 engages the raised latch2| and forces the hammer l9 downwards to transfer the lowermost weft-holder l4 (see Fig. 3) into the shuttle and by the same action to eject the exhausted weft-holder from the shuttle, The return movement of the hammer I9 under the action of its spring 2fl causes the pawl-and-detent parts 21,

28 to turn'the magazine wheels I5, l5 sufficiently 'to bring the second lowermost weft-holder into the lowermostposition.

transfer hammer l3 pivotally mounted at l9 on The above operation and the mechanism hereinbefore described for performing it are as aforesaid well known, and accordingly they need not be described in greater detail. 3 I s As shown in Fig; 1, the. left-hand shuttle box vl I. (that is, the box more remote from the weftreplenishing mechanism) includes as usual afront plate 4| and apivotal rear plate42. As shown, the front plate; isv provided with a feeler-slot 43. The shuttle. 3, which is shown in the shuttle box H, isalso. provided with a feeler-slot 44,

slot 43.

The. improved feeler arrangement includes two small feelers45, 46 constituting extensions of parallel rods 41,148 (see-also Figs. 4,.5'and 6) which rods, are mounted sideeby-side in a-small casing 49 adjustably fixed to the frame l8 insuoh a 45, 46 can pass freely through the slot 43 in the front-plate of the shuttle-box. Both feeler rods are mounted for end- .wise sliding and rotational movement in the eas- .rear end of the casing and thereby maintain the feelers fully projecting. The feelers are arranged .in.inter-engagementsthe'body 41 having a V- section projection 5| which normally rests upon the body 48 andwhich co-operates with a step 52 thereon consisting of a washer-like enlargement or collars-The body 41 is alsoprovided with a small bent rodlike stop 53 which passes laterally througha slot 54in the side wall of the casing 49 and engages above the leverarm 35 .so that the otherlever arm.35 serves as a support for the setting arm 34. The projection 5| prevents rotation of the body 41 .under the upward pressure of the arm The arrangement is such that, when the arm strikeradvances, it misses the arm 34, and the setting means 3|, 32,. 33, v34 remain inactive.

. In'the operation of the feeler arrangement, the feelers are displaced when the lay l0 advances for a beat-up whenever .a shuttle occupies the adjacent shuttle-box II (that is, at every second beat-up in the loom under consideration) While there isja sufficiency of weft W on the weft-holder, -the feeler will beicontacted and displaced before the step 52 It will however be can reach the projection 5|. clear that, in thecase .of a

' given weft-holder, the feeler 46 is always displaced to the same extent by the tube T constituting the core whereon the weft W is wound; whereas, the

feeler 45 is displaced to a progressively decreasing extent by the gradually diminishing weft. The feeler parts are so dimensioned that, when a time the weft-holding tube .T

. ferred from the magazine by the hammer the usual manner h'ereinbefore briefly described.

I'ment I 2,011,903 a 'isreached atlwhichthe weft is almostpexhausted, tubes and in other cases becaus'eof the nature of the. step 52:will move into. register with the. proejection-Blisee Fig.4)1and will lift it (see Fig. I

withithe result that-a slight rotationalmovement I :w-illbe imparted; to thexfeeler body 411.. In con.-

sequence. of thisrrotational movement, the pro jectingstop Etwill beforced down andthe lever -arm;3,5 will likewise beforceddownso that the vElevernarm.35 will 'be'rais'ed sufficiently to dis- ;place: the arm 34 into the. pathof the. strikerfK.

Thus, when the striker. 3f advances immediately thereafter, the setting meanest, 32,33, 34 will be displaced in such a manner that the weftreplenishing mechanism will be set in readiness for actuationbythe lay: as when it advances at the next. succeeding beat-up; Since this beat-upwill follow a pickcperformed by'the shuttle containing the almost "exhausted weft-holder, the shuttle .willsthen belocated in: the right-hand shuttle- ;boxlz adjacent to theweft-replenishing meche anism; .'land, accordingly, the exhausted weft holder willibe ejected bya full weft-holder trans-l I9, in

- Provision is made for adjustingthe lengthwise p relationship'pf one feeler to the otherto suit different conditions. 7

construction illustratedcom'prises screw-threaded The provision made in the connecticnst l between the feelers proper 45, 46 andllthe rods til, 68, lock nuts 55 being provided 'totlock'the feelers in their positions of adjustment. :ft is thereforepossible to pre-determine with accuracythe moment when the feeler arrangement will bring about weft-replenishment. With referencenow to the alternative construc tion illustrated in Fig. '7, thegarran'gement is such marine projection 5i rests upon the step52 in the normal position of the feelers; that is, when the bodies M 43 arepressed by the springs 50 against the rear end :of the casing 59. The arrangement-istherefore such that, norma1ly,the :laterally projecting stop' 53 maintains the lever armtfi depressed; so that. the other lever arm 35" supports the setting arm 34 in the 'path of the striker 36. In the operationof the feeler arrangement, so long as there is a sufliciencyof-Weft I on the weft-holder, eachtime the feelers are contacted and displaced, the displacement is differential,- and the projection Slmust immediately move" off the step 52. Thus, a rotational move- 7 imparted to the feelerbody Al by the weight of the setting arm 34 through the inter- I mediaryof the lever 35', 35 and the stop 53,-the arm 35 droppingcle'ar of the strilrer 36, and the, 'setting lmeans M, 52, 33, 34 remaining inactive.

.when however, the weft-holder is almost exhausted of weft, there is practically no differentialdisplacement of the feelers 55, 4%,:with the resultthat the projection 5i remains upongthe step Bland consequentially the arm: 36 remains sup.- ported, in its normal position in (striker 3i Thus, when the striker 3% advances, itengages the arm 34; so that the setting means the path of the is actuated, and the weft-replenishing mechanism set-,in readiness for actuation by the lay of the next beat-up. a The improved feeler ar'rangementis applicable to weft-replenishing mechanisms in general, although it i's especially suitable for use in looms using we; wound'onpaper or like tubes, existing "feelerarrangements havingbe'en found unsuitable for 'such looms, in someflcases because of the'substantiali dimensional variations between different and, can .be adjustedto bring and the other projection serving setting member; one feeler being arranged to wise movement weft is unwound, and the other feeler being the material. fwhich the tubesaremade. l :The, improved feeler. arrangement has been found,- in practice, to function with reliability plenishing about theweft-re- F1 operation at a predetermined point Within comparatively fine'limits, so that economy I end of the core.

I claim .1. A feeler device for weft-replenishing mech-: anism in a loom provide-d witha shuttle adapted 1 to receive a weft-holder whosecore is. mainly woundwith weft but has a portion exposed, said loom having means to .pre-set said mechanism for actuationby a working partof the loom, said means including a displaceable setting member cooperating with a -movable striker'adapted :io

operate said means; said feeler device comprising apair of spring-return feelers, ,a'step on' one 'feeler, which latter is mounted for endwise-move-i ment,'and projections onthe other. feeler, which is mounted both for endwise and turning move with said step to support the ment, one projection cooperating feel the weft and to receive therefrom an endwhose extentdecreases as the arranged to feel the said exposed portion of; the

ment of constant extent, the arrangement being such thatwhenv the diminishing weft reduces to a predeterminedamount the stepand cooperatprojection cause the tu'rnable'feelerfs other projection to'position the setting member in the strikers path, theweft-replenishingmechanism thus being pre-set. I I

I 2. A feeler device as claimed inthe preceding claim 1 and adapted for use in combination with weft-holders each including askewer portion oh which a tube is located, said tube being :mainly wound withweft but having an end'portion' left exposed to the'action of one of the feelers.

-3. A feeler device for weft-replenishing mechanism in a loom provided with a shuttle adapted to receivea weft-holderwhose coreis mainly wound with weft but has a portion exposed, said loom having means to 'pre-set said mechanism for actuation by a working part'of the loom,

said means including a 'displaceabl'e setting member cooperating with a movable striker adapted to operate said means: said feeler de- :,vicecomprising a pair of spring-return feelers, a step on one feeler, which latter ismounted for endwise movement, projections on the" otherfeeler, which is mounted both for endwise' and turn ing movement, one projection cooperating with said step andithe' other projection serving to support the setting member, and an adjustment device in at leastone feeler to vary precisely the effective length thereof; one feeler being arranged to feelthe weft and to receive therefrom an jendwise movement whose extent decreases'as the weft is unwound, and the other'feeler being arranged "to feel the said exposed portionof'the core and to receive therefrom an 'endwise' 'movemer t of constant extent, the arrangementbeing core and to receive therefrom an endwise movemeans including a displaceable an amount precisely gauged by theadjustment device to coincide'with almost complete exhaustion oftheweft from the core; the :step and the cooperating projection cause the turnable feelers.other5projection to position the setting member in the strikers path-the weft-replenishing mechanism thus being pre-set.

4. A feeler devicefor weft-replenishing meoh anism in a loom provided with a shuttle adapted to receive a weft-holder whose core is mainly wound with weft but has a portion exposed, said 'loom having means to pre-set said mechanism .for actuation by. 'a. Working part of the loom,

said means including a displaceable but normally stationary setting member cooperating with a movable striker adapted to'operate said means: saidfeeler device comprising a pairof springreturn feelers, a step on one feelenwhich latter is, mounted for endwise movement, and projections on the other feeler, which is mounted both for endwiseand turning movement, one projectioncooperating with said step and the other projection serving to support the setting member; one feeler being arranged to feel the Weft and to receive therefrom an endwise movement whose extentpdecreasesas the weft'isunwound and the, other feeler being arranged to feel the said exposed portion of the core and to receive therefrom an endwise movement of constant extent, the arrangement being such that when the diminishing weft reduces to a predetermined amount the step displaces the cooperating projection'and turnsthe turnable feeler, whose other projection displaces the setting member into its operative position'in the strikers path,

the weft-replenishing I mechanism thus being :pre-set.

5. A feeler device as claimed in the preceding claim 4 and adapted for use'in'combination with weft-holders each including a skewer portion on which a tube is located, said tube being rnainlywoundwith weft but, having an end portion left exposed to the action :of onerof the said feeler device comprising a pair of springreturn feelers, a step on one feeler, which, latter is mounted for endwise movement, projections on the other feeler, which is mounted both for en'dwise and turning movement, one projection cooperating with said step and the other'projection serving to support the setting member, and an adjustment device, in at least one feeler to vary precisely the effective. lengththereof; one feeler being arranged to feel the weft, and to receive therefrom an endwisemovement whose extent decreases as the weft is unwound, and

the other feeler being arranged to feel the said exposed portion of the coreand to receive therefrom an endwise movement of constant extent,

the arrangement being such that when the di-' ,minishing weft reduces to an amount precisely gauged by the adjustment device to coincide with almostcomplete exhaustion ofv the ,weft from the core,,the step displaces the cooperating p ojection and turns the turnable feeler, whose,

,wound, and the other feeler being 2,011,903 lsuchthat when the diminishing'weft reduces :to

other projection displaces the setting member into its operative position in the strikers path, the

weft-replenishing mechanism thus being preset.

7. A feeler device for weft-replenishing mech-- 'anism in a loom provided with a shuttle adapted to receiveia'weft-holder whose core is mainly wound with weft but has a portion exposed,

said loom having means to pre-set said mecha nism ,for actuation .by working part a of the loom, said means including a displaceable setting member cooperating with, a movable striker adapted to operate said'means: said feeler device oomprising a pair of spring-return feelers, a stepon-one feeler, which latter is mounted for endwise movement, andprojections on the other feeler, which is mountedbothforendwise andturning movement, one projection adapted normally to move ofi-and-on said step at each beat-up of the loom and theiother projection serving. to simultaneously. displace the setting member into a position clear of the striker; one feeler being arranged to feel the weft andlto re- '.ceive therefrom an endwise movement whose ex- .tent decreases asothe weft is unwound, and the other feeler beingarranged to feel the said exposed portion of the'core and to receive therefrom an endwise movement of constant extent, .the arrangement being such that when the diminishing-weft reduces to a predetermined amount the last-mentioned projection fails to move oil the step, and. so the other projection maintains the setting member in the strikers path, the weft-replenishing mechanism thus being pre-set.

8. VA feeler device as claimed in the preceding claim 7 and adapted for use in combination with weft-holders each including a skewer portion on which atube is located, said tube being mainly wound with weft but having an end portion left exposed to the action of one of the feelers.

9. A feeler device for weft-replenishing mechanismin a loom provided with a shuttle adapted to receive a weft-holder whose core is mainly .wound with weft but has a portion exposed, said loom ,havingmeans to pre-set said mechanism for actuation by a working part of the loom, said means including a displaceable setting member ,cooperating with a movable striker adapted to operate said means: said feeler device comprising a pair of spring-return feelers, a step on one feeler, which'latter is mounted for endwise movement, projections on the other feeler, which is .mounted both for'endwise and turning movement, one projection adapted normally to move oif-and-on said step at each beat-up of the loom and the other projection serving to simultaneously displace the setting member clear of the striker, and an adjustment device in at least one feeler to vary precisely the effective length thereof; one feeler being arranged to feel the weft and to receive therefrom an endwise movement whose extent decreases as the weft is unarranged to feel the said exposed portion of the core. and to receive therefrom an endwise movement of constant extent, the arrangement being such that when the diminishing weft reduces to an amount precisely, gauged by the adjustment device to coincide with almost complete exhaustion of the -weftfrom the core the last-mentioned projection fails to move off the step, and so the other projection maintains the setting member in the strikers path,the weft-replenishing mechanism ,thus being prev-set.

GEORGE FREDERICK NORMAN MARTIN. 

